Friday 19 August 2011 08.45 EDT
First published on Friday 19 August 2011 08.45 EDT

Over the past few weeks, the Hebden Bridge Times has been proclaiming a "Summer of Love" in the Calder Valley, (although this seems sadly to have bypassed this outpost of 'The Northerner'). Not a great deal of love for the royal family in evidence locally, though, judging by a recent controversy aired in the pages of the HB Times and followed up on the community website discussion forum, concerning the decision by Hebden Royd Town Council not to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next year.

Electors have been advised that, while there will be no official recognition of the historic occasion, they may celebrate in their own way, and the council will not prevent people holding street parties or similar events if they wish. (This from the town which brought us "Not the Royal Wedding Street Party" on 29th April this year, with Holme Street closed for the afternoon while local band 'The Dirty Fakirs' played a lively set outside the Trades Club.)

Calderdale royalists could discreetly wear one of these

On the other hand, the local district council, Calderdale MBC, has already allocated £25,000 to fund Diamond Jubilee celebrations throughout the borough, and it is not yet clear how much of this may or may not be spent in Hebden Bridge. It also appears that the good folk of Warstein, Hebden Bridge's German twin town, were planning to send over a delegation at the time of the Diamond Jubilee.

Quite what they will now do remains to be seen - presumably they, too, may be advised to celebrate in their own way. All this might seem a little academic before we have even had this year's August Bank holiday.

Meanwhile in Todmorden, Hebden's more down to earth neighbour a few miles up the valley, they are currently holding a summer series of events celebrating Chartism, the great political and social movement of the 1840s, which commanded widespread support in the Calder Valley. Chartists campaigned for universal manhood suffrage, a secret ballot, equal constituencies, annual parliaments, payment for MPs and the abolition of property qualifications for MPs.

During a recent tidy-up in a back room at Todmorden Library, a tiny original Chartist hymnbook was discovered, priced at one (old) penny. This is now on display in the library, while a facsimile is available on the Calderdale website. It contains a selection of rousing songs, which could be sung to existing hymn tunes; and on a Saturday afternoon in June, the library resounded to the wonderful sound of local choir, Chorista, giving voice to hymns which had not seen the light of day for over 150 years.

Looking down the valley towards Halifax, whence the £25,000 will come

This event was followed up in early August by a walk to the Basin Stone, a local landmark which served as a Chartist meeting-place. Finally, there is to be a talk on September 3rd by Dr. Michael Sanders, senior lecturer in Victorian literature at Manchester University, entitled "Who made the National Chartist Hymn Book and why?" This free event will explore the role of hymn singing within the Chartist movement, and what the hymnbook tells us about Chartist beliefs and attitudes.

Although the Chartist movement campaigned only for manhood suffrage, and did not include votes for women in its demands, it appears that women were very involved in Chartism, and there are reports of them marching four abreast through the Calder Valley, singing hymns as they went. Maybe this would be a suitable event to recreate in place of Jubilee celebrations for those not wishing to hold Diamond Jubilee street parties, but wanting to celebrate in their own way.